Sumatra and Java are separated by Sunda Strait that is about 25 km wide at its narrowest point. Although most of the strait lies within a region of geologically complex structure and relatively high seismic activity there is a narrow stable zone connecting the islands. The strait that connects the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean is characterized by high waves and strong currents as well as troughs over most of the area.

Currently the only connection between Java and Sumatra is ferry transportation linking Merak and Bakaheuni. This service transports passengers, cargoes and vehicles. The present travel time can vary from three hours on average to more than twenty-four hours at worst. There is no mass transportation or container transport facility. Some reports indicate that in the 1999 year there were 13 million people and 2 million vehicles ferried across Sunda Strait from Java to Sumatra and vice versa. This figure is equivalent to more than 9,000 passenger car units per day, which is quite high number leading to holdups and delays. Because of this, some reports forecast that the current mode of transportation will soon become unmanageable.

The idea of connecting Java-Sumatra over the Sunda Strait dates back to the Dutch era in the 1920s. In the period of 1960-65, a group of the Bandung Institute of Technology came up with a more concrete proposal of the form of a suspension bridge to link Java and Sumatra. In the period from 1985 up to now a series of studies were conducted to review the feasibility of this proposed link. Both domestic and international bodies were involved. Mainly a joint effort of the Indonesian and other governments as well as some private organizations carried out these investigations. They put forward specific proposals but none of these provided any solution to the financial matter thus making all the work fruitless.